Report | Question ID | Question | Discussion | Answer | Year |
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20091055 | Date therapy initiated/Systemic/Surgery Sequence--Breast: How are these fields coded when a patient has chemotherapy after a sentinel lymph node biopsy and has a lumpectomy after completing chemotherapy? See Discussion. | On 4-10-08 a patient underwent sentinel lymph node biopsies. This was followed by chemotherapy which started on 4-15-08. The patient subsequently underwent a lumpectomy on 11-10-2008. | For this case, code Date Therapy Initiated to the date of the sentinel lymph node biopsy [04102008]. Assign code 3 [Systemic therapy after surgery] in Systemic/Surgery Sequence. |
2009 |
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20031032 | Diagnostic Confirmation--Hematopoietic, NOS: How should diagnostic confirmation of Hematopoietic diseases be coded in the absence of positive bone marrow? See Description. | Case 1. Patient admitted 9-12-02 with diagnosis of essential thrombocythemia. Per the H&P, patient obviously has had this since January 2001. Per the clinical history: patient with elevated platelets. Path diagnosis of bone marrow biopsy done 9-20-02 showed mildly increased megakaryocytes. 10-31-02 clinical sign-out diagnosis was: essential thrombocythemia. Case 2. Patient admitted for evaluation of erythrocytosis. Assessment: Increased hematocrit only. It is most likely that patient has polycythemia vera. I think it is reasonable to initiate phlebotomy treatment. |
Code 1, Positive histology, includes diagnostic hematologic findings and peripheral blood smears when these are the basis for diagnosis. When the clinician makes a specific diagnosis and the blood work is not diagnostic, code diagnostic confirmation as 8 [Clinical diagnosis only]. The clinician is putting together all evidence, including the blood work and using his/her professional experience to diagnose the case. Case 1. The diagnosis is not based on microscopic findings. Assign code 8 [Clinical diagnosis only]. Megakaryocytes are the immature form of thrombocytes, but mildly increased megakaryocytes are not diagnostic of essential thrombocythemia. Case 2. The diagnosis is not based on microscopic findings. Assign code 8 [Clinical diagnosis only]. |
2003 |
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20061052 | Diagnostic Confirmation--Leukemia: How is this field coded when the clinician confirms that the diagnosis of CML is based on a combination of the clinical picture and positive cytogenetic studies? | Assign code 1 [Positive histology]. For leukemia only, assign code 1 for positive hematologic findings including peripheral blood smears, CBCs and WBCs. Cytogenetics studies would have been done on blood. Therefore, histology provided diagnostic confirmation as it would with smear, bone marrow, or other special study of blood cells. |
2006 | |
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20041009 | Diagnostic Confirmation--Lymphoma: Can lymphoma be diagnosed clinically? See Description. | Example 1: Patient with B symptoms. Physical exam reveals large neck mass. Physician impression is lymphoma. Example 2: CT scans show lymphadenopathy consistent with lymphoma. In both cases, patient does not return for biopsies. |
Yes, lymphoma can be accessioned based on a clinical diagnosis. Code Diagnostic Confirmation in Example 1 as 8 [Clinical diagnosis only]. Code Diagnostic Confirmation in Example 2 as 7 [Radiography and other imaging techniques without microscopic confirmation]. |
2004 |
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20000516 | Diagnostic Confirmation--Prostate: How do we code this field when there is an elevated PSA, no other work-up and there is a clinical diagnosis of adenocarcinoma? | Code the Diagnostic Confirmation field to 5 [positive laboratory test/marker study] to indicate the diagnosis is based upon an abnormal PSA tumor marker if the physician uses the PSA as a basis for diagnosing prostate cancer. | 2000 | |
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20010134 | Diagnostic Confirmation--Testis: How do you code this field when a testicular mass is confirmed to be cancer on physical exam and testicular antigen, but the orchiectomy specimen was negative and yet the final signout diagnosis on the medical record was "testicular cancer"? | Code the Diagnostic Confirmation field to 5 [Positive laboratory test/marker study] because the disease was confirmed both clinically and by a positive marker. Code 8 [Clinical diagnosis only] is used when the diagnosis is based on information other than that coded in 5, 6, or 7 [positive lab test/marker study, visualization, and radiography or other imaging techniques]. Code 8 is rarely used. | 2001 | |
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20081039 | Diagnostic Confirmation/Histology--Hematopoietic: How are these fields coded when the final pathologic diagnosis for a bone marrow biopsy differs from the final clinical diagnosis of a hematopoietic disease? See Discussion. | Frequently, pathology reports describe hematopoietic diseases using ambiguous terms. Flow cytology and cytogenetics may be obtained. It appears that the clinician is the person who pulls all the information together for a diagnosis. Example: Bone marrow biopsy is most compatible with chronic phase myeloproliferative disease. Path comment: Differential would include CML. Outside hematology report indicates an elevated peripheral WBC, primarily neutrophils. Flow cytometry showed 1.0 % of the white cells are myeloid blasts of abnormal phenotype, additionally finding 7.3 % basophils. Flow reported peripheral blasts at 1.2 % and peripheral basophilia. Cytogenetics report showed abnormality with trisomy of chromosomes 13 and 21. This finding is consistent with a clonal abnormality suggestive of acquired disease. Results were consistent with the absence of the t(9,22)(q34;q11) translocation or fusion product associated with CML. Subsequent clinical impression: Bone marrow evaluation most consistent with CML. Overall features most consistent with CML. |
For cases diagnosed prior to 1/1/2010:Code the Diagnostic Confirmation field as 1 [positive histology]. Code the ICD-O-3 morphology based on the clinician's statement. The code in Diagnostic Confirmation pertains to the best method used to confirm the presence of cancer over the entire course of the disease. Therefore, if a bone marrow report confirms cancer, code 1 [positive histology] in Diagnostic Confirmation. Code the histology using all of the information available. The clinician has access to all of the information relating to this case. The pathologist had only the bone marrow. Code the histology recorded by the clinician. For cases diagnosed 1/1/10 and later, refer to the Hematopoietic and Lymphoid Neoplasm Case Reportability and Coding Manual and the Hematopoietic Database (Hematopoietic DB) provided by SEER on its website to research your question. If those resources do not adequately address your issue, submit a new question to SINQ. |
2008 |
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20061053 | Diagnostic Confirmation: How is this field coded for a case with a cytology that is suspicious for ductal carcinoma and the clinical diagnosis is carcinoma? See Discussion. | SINQ 20031152 states that histology for this type of case is to be coded per the clinical diagnosis of "carcinoma." Does it follow then that Diagnostic Confirmation is to be coded 8 (clinical diagnosis only)? Would we code Diagnostic Confirmation differently if the clinician stated that the diagnosis of malignancy was confirmed by the suspicious cytology? | Code diagnostic confirmation as 8 [clincial diagnosis] when there is a suspicious cytology and a physician's clinical diagnosis. Do not accession cases with only suspicious cytology. Code diagnostic confirmation as 8 when the clinician's diagnosis of malignancy is confirmed by the suspicious cytology. It is still a clinical diagnosis made by the physician using the information available for the case. |
2006 |
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20000433 | Diagnostic Confirmation: Is it appropriate to code this field to "radiography" confirmation when a CT scan does not actually contain a diagnosis of malignancy, however, the discharge diagnosis in the medical record of "probable malignancy" is likely based on the abnormal CT findings? See discussion. | 10/1/02 CT of Chest: 1) Huge (left) suprahilar mass. 2) Moderate volume loss, left lung. Appearance suspicious of LLL collapse. An infiltrate is seen in the aerated upper lobe as well as pleural effusion. 3) Streaky and nodular changes are noted at the right base that may represent possible lymphangetic spread of tumor.
10/23/02 Discharge Dx: Lung mass, probably carcinoma. |
Code the Diagnostic Confirmation field to 7 [Radiography]. This is appropriate because it was the scan evidence that was used to make the clinical diagnosis. | 2000 |
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20130132 | Diagnostic confirmation--Heme & Lymphoid Neoplasms: What is the diagnostic confirmation code for a death certificate only (DCO) diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia? | For cases diagnosed 2010 and forward, access the Hematopoietic Database at http://seer.cancer.gov/seertools/hemelymph.
Always code diagnostic confirmation to 9 [Unknown whether or not microscopically confirmed; death certificate only] for DCO cases.
SEER*Educate provides training on how to use the Heme Manual and DB. If you are unsure how to arrive at the answer in this SINQ question, refer to SEER*Educate to practice coding hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms. Review the step-by-step instructions provided for each case scenario to learn how to use the application and manual to arrive at the answer provided. https://educate.fhcrc.org/LandingPage.aspx. |
2013 |